The film ran for 94 minutes and received an MPAA rating of PG-13 for combat violence and language. It received poor reviews and is viewed as a derivative action vehicle. Solo currently holds a 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 32 reviews.[citation needed]

Solo (Van Peebles) is an android designed as a military killing machine. He is sent to Central America by General Haynes (Barry Corbin) to battle guerrilla insurgents, but a flaw develops in his programming and he develops a conscience and compassion. His developers try to take him back for deprogramming, but he flees to the jungle in a helicopter. His main energy supply was damaged during the first mission, forcing him to switch to his much less powerful secondary power.

He joins a small village community that is under constant threat from guerilla attackers, and he protects them in exchange for use of their electric generator (they previously used it to power a TV). There he learns to 'bluff' from a child that befriends him, Miguel.

Solo helps the villages drive off a local Warlord (Demian Bichir) and his small army, but the combat is detected by a military satellite. A black ops team is sent recover or destroy Solo, while they ally with the Warlord. The black ops leader, Colonel Frank Madden (William Sadler) brings in Solo's creator (Adrien Brody) as a lure, leaving the man mortally wounded but Solo survives. Having occupied the village, the militiamen and black ops team attempt to kill Solo, but he is able to kill all of them.

The Warlord is betrayed by Madden, who tries to kill Solo with an automatic grenade launcher. Solo is able to fight Madden in hand-to-hand combat and non-fatally break his spine. Suddenly a helicopter delivers a more powerful version of the android (who is sometimes referred to as 'Solo MkII') armed with a multi-barreled gun, and has Madden's face. The MkII kills Madden and proceeds to hunt down Solo. Solo is able to save the villagers and beat the MkII android, using his acquired bluffing skills. After Solo's crwator arrives, Miguel, Solo's companion, tells him that he was destroyed in a cave-in, but Miguel starts to hear Solo, laughing, as he knows he has earned his freedom.